🔗 Share this article

The British administration is being called upon to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5 million expense incurred during the recent visits by former President Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Scottish minister.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Provisional expenses totalling nearly £24.5m for the pair of working visits have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee labeled the UK government's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were clearly official, noting that the American leader held meetings with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

The former president visited his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long trip in July, while US vice-president JD Vance spent around a long weekend in Ayrshire in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the trips placed "substantial strains and costs on Scottish public services, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the provisional cost for policing the presidential visit alone was £21m, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3 million.

Complex Security Mission

This complex security mission was the largest in Scotland since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included local officers, national divisions, special constables and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "After your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for costs accrued in connection with the trip of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this decision and provide complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Response and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the visits were private and "not part of official government duties." A representative commented: "The Scottish government are responsible for policing costs in Scotland as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced past instances where the UK government covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is understood that trip followed a formal UK government invitation, in which case it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster needs to step up and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Keir Starmer meeting with the president, having press conferences with them, conducting global diplomacy with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a private holiday trip."